Mineral-separator.



M. L. PORTER.

MINERAL SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1913.

Patented NOVA, 1913.

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Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

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MARION L. PORTER, 0F SILVERTON, COLORADO.

MINERAL-SEPARATOR.

Specification o f Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. e, i913.

Application filed May 15, 1913. Serial No. 787,849.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MARION L. PORTER, citizen of the United States, residing at Silverton, in the county of San Juan and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mineral-Separators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to minera-l separators and has for its primary object to provide a device for the rapid and economical separat-ion of mineral slimes from silica and the coarr particles of metal contained in the discharged water from quartz concentrating mills.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means for edectually and rapidly separating oil or acid treated mneral particles from the waste substances, and means for regulating the discharge of the mineral impregnated slime and the ywaste matter from the apparatus so that they will bear a definite relationship to each other.

The invention has for still another object ,the provision of simple and novel "means for facilitating the precipitation of the heavier particles of metal while the lighter mineral particles are floated and rapidlydischarged from the machine. u

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved automatic float for releasing the silica and other waste sub# stances, and an adjustable gate for varying the discharge of the mineral impregnated slime.

Still another object of the invention is to produce a machine for the above purpose which is simple and durable in .its construction, highly eiiient and reliable in actual use and may be manufactured at comparatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, combinations and-arrangements of the parte that I shall hereinafter fully describeuand claim. e

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following de scription, and accompanying drawings', in w c i v Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mineral separator embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. Bis a detail elevation; Fig. 4

is a vertical section illustrating a slightly modified form of the automatic releasing valve.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the tank or hopper which may be constructed of wood or metal as desired and is preferably of inverted cone-shaped form. The upper edge of the tank wall is longitudinally extended to form a vertical annular ange 6 thereon. Within the upper end of this tank or hopper, a cylindrical housing 7 is concentrically disposed with relationto the flange 6, said housing being openvat its upper and lower ends. The upper edge of this housing is connected to the flange 6 by means of. a plurality of radially disposed channeled bars 8. y

A spirally coiled metal plate 9 has its inner end xed to the wall of the housing 7,v and at its outer end is suitably secured to the flange 6 on the upper end of the tank 5. It will be noted from reference to Fig. 2 that this spiral metal plate gradually decreases in depth from its inner to its outer end. The upper edge of this plate is notched to receive the channeled bars 8, and to these bars, a plurality of supporting rods 10 are secured at their upper ends by means of the nuts 11, the lower ends of said rods v having stirr'ups 12 formed thereon to recelve the lower edge of the plate 9. l .p

The ilange 6 on the tank wall has Secured thereto in any desired manner, a downwardly inclined outlet or discharge siout 13. A stop or dciiecting plate 14 ls xed at itsinner end to the outer convolution of the spirally coiled plate 9 and at 1ts outer end to the ange 6 on the' tank wall adyacent one side o-f the outlet or discharge spout 13. This .plate is preferably curved as shown. A regulating gate 15 is mounted upon the flange 6 of the tank Wall.` Thisgate consists of a plate curved in concentric relation to the Yiiange 6 and provided upon its opposite ends with the extensions 16. these extensions and the body of the plate,l slots Y- 17 `are formed to receive' the lliloltisi 18 crtend' thro vh openings in t e ange Nutsmigi) are ueaded u on the outer ends 105 of vthese bolts whereby t e gate 15 may be securely clamped` in its adgusted tion. The lower end of the gate at op oslte vsides thereof isv movable in the' gul e brackets 21(5) rhiz'h are o t ev ange 6.

'To the lower end of the tank wall 5, the

secured upon the inner face "Within the lower and a valve' cles from the heavier plate or casting 2l issecured, said plate being centrally provided with an opening seating `tace surrounding said opening. 23 designates the valve niember suitably lined to the lower end ot the rod 2st which is movable in a guide bar 25 arranged within the tanlr 5 and fixed to the wall thereoiI at diametrically opposite oints. rlhis valve member is provide with the inclined beveled faces 243 tor engagement upon the seat 22 to close. the opening in the plate or casting 2l. i depending stem 27 is secured to thevalve member 23 and is provided upon its lower end with a spider Q8. This stem extends through the opening in the plate 21. end oit the cylindrical housing fl, horizontal guide bar 29 is arranged, said bar being provided with an opening to loosely' receive the tubular interiorly threaded stem 30 on the lower end of a float 3l, which is arranged within said housing. This stemhas adjustable 'threaded engagement with the upper end of the valve rod Q4: and the tloat is provided with a suitable hand hold 3Q whereby the same may be readily adjusted upon the upper end of the valve rod'in laccordance with the level of the water which it is desired to maintain in the tank 5. A feed launder 33 discharges the mineral impregnated slime and water into the tank 5 between the adj acent inner convolutions of the spiral plate 9.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved mineral separator willbe clearly understood. As the mineral charged water is ted to the tank 5, a whirling motion is imparted thereto by the spirally coiled plate 9, the water traveling slowly in the spiral bottoniless trough which is formed by this plate and thereby giving the heavier particles ot silica or metal a chalice to settle upon the bottom of the tank. The lighter mineral particles which may be made buoyant by treatment with oil or acid as in flotation processes now in common use, will travel around upon the sur face of the water through and nally engage and be directed thereby outwardly through the discharge spout 13. @wing to the tact that the plate 9 is ot relatively great depth at its inner end or the center of the tank, the ore impregnated solution is conned for a greater length of time ina comparatively restricted space than when the solution moves into the outer portion oi? the spirally coiled plate. 'lhus at the center of the tank, the solution will be violently agitated during its whirling motion and by contact with the deep wall of the plate 9 will thoroughly separate the light buoyant mineral partisilica and metal. The adjustment of the gate l5Y and its relation to the surface of the mineral bearing Huid this spiral trough the detlecting plate ltV :correas let. lt is ot course understood that as the depth olf the mineral bearing water .in the tank gradually increases 'and the tloat 31 is elevated thereby, the valve Q3 will be openedy so that t "eavier particles o t silicay and other we ce Lihstances which have settled to the toni et the tanlr4 will be discharged there oni. charge ot the products also facilitates their presi-pil J .tion in the tanlr, as the outflow acts to draw the same downwardly to the waste valve.

'ln lig. /l of the drawings7 l have illustrated a slightly modilied toi-m oit the in vention wherein the lloat 31' is mounted upon the inner end of a lever 34 tulcrumed upon the wall ot the tank or hopper asindicated at 35. 36 designates thewaste discharge pipe connected to the loot-tom ot the tank and a gate valve 37 is arranged in said pipe. rlhe outer end of the lever Se projects beyond the wall ol the tank and to the same the upper end olt a rod 38 is pivotally connected. rlhe lower end ot this rod is connected to an arm 39 which actuates the gate ot the valve 37., 7lhe arm. 39 may be ot any desired length so as to eliiect a quick or slow opening movement ot the valve gate as may he desired.

From the above, it will he seen that l.

"llhis continued dis "Jil lill) liti have produced a mineral separating apparatus which while simple in its construction, will rapidly and effectively separate the light particles of mineral trom the heavier baser materials whichmay he present in the slime and water. By providing the adjustable outlet gate, and the automatically o erated waste discharge valve, the over ow from the tank which carries the light min eral particles and the discharge oi the waste matter can be so regulated as to bear a detinite relationship to each other and after proper adjustment will require little or no attention on the part ot the operator.

By meansfot my invention, a very clean separation of the oating particles of metal from the waste products may be made with comparatively no expense otl. er than that incident to the initial cost of the apparatus. 'lhe invention may be advantageously employed for separating metal slimes contained in quartz mill tailings trom the silica and other waste products carried thereby and is of especial value in the separation ot particles of metal which have been coated with acid or oil, from the silica and other undesirable waste substances which may be associated therewith.

'lt will be appreciated that owing to the very simple4 construction of the apparatus, the same canbe produced at small manufacturing cost and may be ke' t in thorough re pair at practically no a ditional expense.

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The apparatus is also highly durable and eiiicient in practical use. l

While I haveabove described the preferred form and construction of the several elements employed, it will be obvious that the invention is susceptible of considerable modification therein wit-hout departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advantages of the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a mineral separator, a tank provided with an outlet at its upper edge, radially disposed supporting bars fixed at their outer ends to the wall of said tank, a spirally wound plate arranged in said tank, st-irrup members depending from said bars and engaging the lower edge of said plate to support the same, and a deflecting plate fixed to said spiral plate and to the wall rof the tank to direct the mineral bearing water through the outlet of said'tank.

2. In a mineral separator, a tank provided with an outletspout at its upper edge, a spirally wound directing plate arranged in the top of the tank and gradually decreasing in depth from the center of the tank outwardly to the wall thereof, said plate directing the mineral bearing water through a circuitous path from the point of intake to said outlet thereby permitting the heavier particles to settle to the bottom of the tank.

3. In ya mineral separator, a tank to receive the mineral bearing water, a housing centrally arranged in the upper end of said tank, supporting bars connected to the housing and to the tank wall, means depending from said bars to cause the mineral bearing water to travel in a spiral pat-h as it is fed to the tank, said tank having an outlet at its upper end for the finer particles of mineral carried upon the surface of the water and an outletat its bottom for the waste products, a valve normally closing said latter outlet, a float arranged in said housing, and a rod connecting said float to t-he valve, to move the latter to its open position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARION L. PORTER, 

